Egypt Airports to Go Fully Digital, Ending Paper Landing Cards

email: online@newsofbahrain.com

Cairo: Egypt will replace paper landing cards at all airports with a fully digital system for arriving and departing passengers by the end of January, Civil Aviation Minister Sameh El-Hefny announced on Sunday, as part of a broader push to modernise air travel services.

Speaking in a phone interview with Sada El-Balad TV, El-Hefny said the Ministry of Civil Aviation is finalising a digital application that will replace the paper passport card, allowing passenger data to be processed electronically. The move is aimed at easing passenger flow inside terminals, especially during peak travel periods, and improving service quality in line with international standards.

The minister said the reform is part of a wider strategy to digitise services across Egyptian airports. He noted that a recent cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, reviewed progress on the pilot phase of an integrated electronic visa system. The platform will allow travellers to apply for and track visas online, reducing paperwork while improving speed and accuracy.

El-Hefny added that procedures for emergency visas were also discussed, with measures in place to ensure tourists can obtain them quickly upon arrival, a step intended to support inbound tourism.

On airport operations, the minister said service performance has improved, with the first checked bag now reaching passengers within 20 minutes of an aircraft’s arrival and the last bag delivered within 40 minutes. He said the improvements are part of efforts to boost operational efficiency and passenger satisfaction.

Addressing airport management, El-Hefny stressed that private sector involvement would be limited to management and operation, not ownership. “Airports are sovereign assets of the state and cannot be sold,” he said, adding that private-sector participation is intended to enhance professional management and performance.

The ministry plans to outsource the management of 11 airports to specialised private operators, starting with one airport as a pilot project before expanding in phases. A prequalification booklet has already been issued, attracting interest from more than 62 consortia, each comprising an airport management company, a global construction firm, and a third partner. Applications will remain open until 12 February, after which a shortlist will be prepared within two months.

El-Hefny said Cairo International Airport is currently handling record passenger numbers, averaging about 106,000 travellers per day, and confirmed that studies are underway for the planned Terminal 4.

On tourism traffic, he said flights to Marsa Alam have risen by 20 percent, while Sharm El-Sheikh continues to see steady growth. He also addressed recent regional disruptions caused by a technical failure at Athens Airport and the temporary closure of Greek airspace, noting that Egyptian airports were placed on the highest state of readiness and successfully managed the impact. Normal operations resumed by 6pm, he said.

The minister added that efforts are ongoing to improve service quality at EgyptAir and strengthen its international ranking. The national carrier currently operates 65 aircraft, with plans to expand the fleet to 97 within three years.